512 Solutions - self-awarenesshttp://www.512solutions.com/Blog/tag/self-awareness
enHow self-aware are you? http://www.512solutions.com/Blog/uncategorized/how-self-aware-are-you
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>As you build your capacities as a leader it is critically important to enhance your level of self-awareness. Self-awareness is often equated to emotional intelligence. It can also be seen as deepening your understanding of how your behaviors impact others and how you are impacted by other people.</p>
<p>Why would you want to deepen your level of awareness? After all, your "I am what I am" attitude has worked well for you.</p>
<p>Deepening your self awareness will enable you to:</p>
<ul><li> remain in dialogue, especially under stress, chaos, and conflicting perspectives</li>
<li>create an environment of open communication by better understanding how you influence what is and isn't talked about</li>
<li>minimize how your biases and assumptions might blind side a conversation</li>
<li>remain open to other ideas and perspectives - not just to create buy-in, but, more importantly, to gather ideas you might not have thought of</li>
</ul><p>Here's a simple exercise you can try to enhance your level of self-awareness:</p>
<p>1. Identify a recurring situation that would like to reflect on. Perhaps it's resolving a critical issue or how you handle a team meeting or how your react during a decision making process.</p>
<p>2. After you have been through the situation above, journal about your experience without judging the experience.</p>
<ul><li>what were you thinking at the time?</li>
<li>what were your physical reactions? what did your body do?</li>
<li>what emotions did you experience (frustration, elation, disappointment, etc.)?</li>
<li>what were the other person's reactions?</li>
</ul><p>3. After you journal about the items in step 2, diagnose what you experienced.</p>
<ul><li>what went well?</li>
<li>what could you start doing to be more effective?</li>
<li>what could you stop doing to be more effective?</li>
</ul><p>Repeat the process.</p>
<p>The most effective leaders are able to reflect in the moment and adjust how they respond so that ultimately they generate the optimal outcome.</p>
<p>How self aware are you?</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><a href="/Blog/tag/emotional-intelligence" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">emotional intelligence</a>, <a href="/Blog/tag/leadership-development" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">leadership development</a>, <a href="/Blog/tag/management-development" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">management development</a>, <a href="/Blog/tag/self-awareness" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">self-awareness</a><div class="field field-name-field-categories field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Categories:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/Blog/category/uncategorized" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Uncategorized</a></div></div></div>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:46:26 +0000Sal Silvester3654 at http://www.512solutions.comhttp://www.512solutions.com/Blog/uncategorized/how-self-aware-are-you#commentsBalancing Experience and Possibilitieshttp://www.512solutions.com/Blog/sals-perspective/balancing-experience-and-possibilities
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><a href="http://512solutions.com/Blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/possibilities.jpg"></a>I turned 40 this past Saturday and was enlightened by a number of experiences. My Uncle Mike sent me an email that said, "It's fun going up the hill, but don't go over the hill." Thanks Uncle Mike, but how do I know when I am at the top?</p>
<p>After reviewing materials for a "Hiring Winning Talent" workshop, I realized I am now protected under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) that prohibits discrimination against persons who are 40 years of age or older with respect to any term or condition of employment.</p>
<p>So, I got that going for me. </p>
<p>My friend Jody sent me a card that said "40 is smack dab in the middle of experience and possibilities." Now we are talking - I like that. </p>
<p>When I read Jody's card, it struck me that this was characteristic of what successful leaders and team members do - they find a balance between leaning on their experience and being open to new possibilities. I also realized that finding that balance involves exploring your values and beliefs and understanding how those values and beliefs impact your actions in the work place.</p>
<p>Why is this important to team work? </p>
<p>It’s important because our values and beliefs at home and at work are the same. We don’t check them at the door when we enter the workplace. They stay with us. The challenge is that our values and beliefs may result in behaviors that are not appropriate or legal in the work place.<br />
Let me give you a few examples (and by the way, these examples aren’t easy for many people to consider). Let’s say you have a strong belief, because of your religious or family upbringing, that women should stay home with their children, or that gay marriage should not be legal, or that people over the age of 55 are slow to change, or that Caucasian men are aggressive, or that (fill in the blank here). How do those beliefs impact the actions and decisions you make in the workplace? If you are a leader trying to fill a position, do they impact your hiring decision? If you are a team member working on a project, do they impact your ability to communicate effectively with one another?<br />
It’s important that people have a strong sense of self-awareness about their own values and beliefs and that they explore how those values and beliefs impact what they do in the workplace. Often times simply having an awareness is enough to draw out the appropriate behaviors in a work setting.<br />
It’s also important to understand that accepting people’s differences doesn’t mean that we have to adopt their values. Amy Tolbert at ECCO International shared this important concept with me and it has helped many of my clients not only deal with differences in the workplace, but actually value those differences.<br />
As I enter my fourth decade of life, I take confidence in my experience. I am also glad to know people who are different than I am, because they keep me open to new possibilities.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><a href="/Blog/tag/acceptance-versus-adoption" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">acceptance versus adoption</a>, <a href="/Blog/tag/beliefs" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">beliefs</a>, <a href="/Blog/tag/communication" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Communication</a>, <a href="/Blog/tag/experience" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">experience</a>, <a href="/Blog/tag/leadership" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Leadership</a>, <a href="/Blog/tag/possibilities" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">possibilities</a>, <a href="/Blog/tag/self-awareness" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">self-awareness</a>, <a href="/Blog/tag/values" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">values</a>, <a href="/Blog/tag/work-place-behaviors" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">work place behaviors</a><div class="field field-name-field-categories field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Categories:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/Blog/category/sals-perspective" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Sal&#039;s Perspective</a></div></div></div>Wed, 13 May 2009 18:58:18 +0000Sal Silvester3433 at http://www.512solutions.comhttp://www.512solutions.com/Blog/sals-perspective/balancing-experience-and-possibilities#commentsSelf-awareness: The Essence of a People-First™ Leaderhttp://www.512solutions.com/Blog/leadership/self-awareness-the-essence-of-a-people-first%25e2%2584%25a2-leader
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>One of the most important characteristics of a People-First™ Leader is that they are self-aware.<br />
Self-aware?<br />
Here’s what I mean. (1) They understand why they respond to others the way they do, and (2) they understand why others respond to them the way they do.<br />
Why is this important?<br />
Because a leader impacts a person’s level of engagement, satisfaction, and productivity more than any other factor and a “one size fits all” approach to leading others does not work. Most people don’t leave their organization, they leave their leader. Think about all the jobs you have had in the past. Was this part of your experience?<br />
So, how do you build self-awareness?<br />
(1) You need time for reflection.<br />
(2) You need a mechanism for feedback – input from friends, colleagues, team members you lead, etc.<br />
(3) A behavior style tool such as <a href="http://www.512solutions.com/resources/aboutDisc.php">DiSC®</a> provides a framework for understanding self and others.<br />
(4) You need ongoing support so that reflection, feedback, and learning more about behavioral styles become engrained in personal growth.<br />
Does a one size fits all approach to leadership work for you? If not, how do you build self-awareness?</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><a href="/Blog/tag/disc" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">DiSC</a>, <a href="/Blog/tag/emotional-intelligence" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">emotional intelligence</a>, <a href="/Blog/tag/self-awareness" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">self-awareness</a><div class="field field-name-field-categories field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Categories:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/Blog/category/leadership" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Leadership</a></div></div></div>Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:38:20 +0000Sal Silvester3417 at http://www.512solutions.comhttp://www.512solutions.com/Blog/leadership/self-awareness-the-essence-of-a-people-first%25e2%2584%25a2-leader#comments